Rolling Stones In India

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

Stones Soak In India

 

FROM THE INDIAN EXPRESS

 

BANGALORE, INDIA, Apr 14 (VNN) — Stones soak in India

 

by Neelima Menon

 

Bangalore, April 3: Lazing by the pool side, working out in the Ayurvedic spa and dining on kebabs - the Rolling Stones have generally been chilling out since they arrived in Bangalore. "They've been on the road for quite long. So they're relaxing," says Dilip Doshi, promoter of the 40 Licks tour in India.

 

Meanwhile, hundreds of technicians sweat it out on a mammoth arena at the Palace Grounds here. "A gladiatorial arena to shock Bangaloreans," is how Jake Berry, production director for the concert, describes the stage erected for the evening.

 

Amidst all this chaos, no one is quite sure who went where in the last two days. There were trips to shop for Indian artefacts and clothing and even a trip to the ISKCON temple, but there was no confirmation that any of the band members actually went.

 

"They started their day at the spa, had breakfast at the coffee shop Citrus and will probably dine at the Jamavar where the chef is preparing a special menu for them, which includes a host of kebabs with less spice and masala. They also had a cocktail party thrown by the GM, Eric Swanson. They enjoyed our special 'Game' menu which includes duck and quail. They just love the service here because they are left alone and not hounded for autographs. They can't believe it. We are trying to respect their privacy. And they've been wonderfully nice to the staff," says Harathi Reddy, Communications Manager at The Leela Palace.

 

Speaking about the preparations, it's all befitting the US $ 1 billion band. Understandably, the promoters are sparing no expenses to make tomorrow's concert a stunning event. Right from bringing in a fully equipped team of experts in the art of stage-setting from all over the world to arranging neat special effects and flawless security measures, they have not left any stone unturned.